Flavor Packet

1.3.11

7:40 pm

There's a girl in the garden.

In the garden, there's a girl.

So much has happened in the past (period of time) that I can't even remember most of it.

Here goes: over the Christmas days, my parents and sister came to visit along with Christina's mother and sister.

We had a bunch interfamilial holiday stuff planned, all of which was to culminate on Sunday the 26th of December at our engagement party, thrown by my parents at Steamer's Landing on the Hudson River and joining, for the first time, members of my family and Christina's.

It was going to be...epic.

Then there was quite a bit of snow and that ended up being cancelled.

I was bummed for my parents, but relieved as I was god damned exhausted from the previous four days.

In the end, Chris and I went down to the restaurant and picked up the six or seven platters of food (shrimp, fruit, cheese and crackers, mini-burgers, crab salad on endive (pronounced on-DEEV, you Anglo mouth-rapists) and more and just brought them back to our place.

Our engagement party featured seven people and we were fine with that.

Christmas was a massive blow out, surpassing most of the ones that had come before it (except for when I was like 7 or 8 and got the Castle Eternia playset, that was fucking BALLS, yo) and everyone had a great time...or pretended to, but, hey, if alkies are encouraged to "fake it 'til they make it", then why can't we?

Exactly.

Other than Christmas there has been a flurry of media, as there always is with me (hidepaulhidefromithaidehidehide).

Chris and I are watching Mad Men, second time around for me, first for her and she's digging it despite the misogyny. Or she's fighting past that and chalking it up to really great research.

That show is just amazing.

I've been spending far too much time playing the new Assassin's Creed game.

Around the 22nd or so, I finished with the multiplayer, and began playing the single player.

Huge.

Huge.

Huge.

That game is so enjoyable.

Because of it, I've actually been playing my first Facebook game which serves to expand the universe of Assassin's Creed.

I do not plan to get addicted to these things as the mechanics are just awful (click here. good. now wait. now click again.), but I like the extra depth it adds, so I'm fine with that.

I went out and saw Black Swan with Lauren and Chris on Saturday and, sadly, the hype had gotten to it.

It was good, but not astonishing as I was lead to believe.

Clint Mansell did a great job with the score though, better than Moon as it had more variety.

And NatPo also did an excellent job of being alternately fragile and stabby.

Way to go, NatPo, you ain't a ho', youse a actor fo' sho'.

I still think ballet is gay as hell though.

Meaning homosexual.

Because a lot of ballet guys are gay.

Which is totally fine, but still boring as get out.

Look, they're dancing and you can see through their bodies when the light hits them.

And the girls don't have their periods because they are afraid.

Anyway.

It was a lot easier for Aronofsky to show the darker side of drugs in Requiem (also masterfully scored by Clint Mansell) than the darker side of ballet in Black Swan.

Can't wait for him to show us the darker side of Wolverine when that comes out.

Then I want him to direct a season of Glee.

Yes.

Also, that new Cake album, "Showroom of Compassion", leaked.

And I got it.

And I'm a gunna revew it.

Here's a preview: It isn't worth the seven years we've waited to hear it.

Whatelsewhatelse...?

Not sure what's happening for my 30th.

Don't have any interest in anything really.

Fondue...Fat Cat...the billiards and games parlour, not the Chip n Dale's Rescue Rangers villain.

Might try to become addicted to a drug in the new year, see how that goes.

A nice little coke habit might lose me some weight.

Or maybe smack...

Can you imagine what George Washington Diarrhea would sound like if I was doing heroin?

Holy fuck would that be awesome...

Or at least it couldn't get much worse.

It would probably make the songs longer.

I've actually been listening to the podcast Jay and Silent Bob Get Old, which is Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes talking about Mewes' problems with addiction to heroin and pills over the years.

Very interesting.

And not just because I used to like Smith's movies.

Each episode has been a candid, up front discussion of drugs and their effects.

And, the best part is that it hasn't felt preachy or after-school-special-y.

There are some very convincing cases for drug use in there, a lot of the stuff Mewes talks about it appealing.

But he also talks about the negative side so it isn't totally an ad for smack or anything.

I think it's a great way for people to stay off drugs, quite frankly.

Even though I might go on them for my music "career".

I've also been editing the New Mexico footage.

Slowly but surely.

More slowly than surely, actually, but slow progression is still progression.

Phil and Will have some podcasting ideas of their own that will hopefully come to fruition.

Will and I just need to stay on Phil or he gets...hm...not distracted exactly...more like unpsyched.

Yeah.

He gets an idea, a good one, but unless it starts getting done immediately, it seems to slip away and get less and less amazing until BAM!!! A new idea!!! This is going to be awesome!!!!

Not to worry, my friend.

It happens to all creative types from time to time.

Except me.

I write everything down and it gets done eventually.

That Anal Christmas song was literally written about five or six years ago.

And it was worth it.

I have a script for a tiny, faux commercial called Malaise Away I wrote before that.

It'll get done some time.

Got an idea for a new TMBG music video, bought a gas mask specifically for it..

It's gonna happen.

Things fall to the side, but are never forgotten.

I do understand the plight though.

Especially when you're working on something huge like a novel or a screenplay.

My stuff is usually...well...let's say esoteric.

Or at least short, so I don't have to dedicate that much of myself to it.

Not that anything I've ever done isn't 100% true to myself.

100% pure me.

Unadulterated.

In your mouth.

Face.

In your face.

What'd I say, nipple?

Well, it wouldn't be Christmas if the stores were any hooter than they hotter than they are.

Can I take something out for you?

This year looks to be all right for music.

Release-wise anyway.

Full length How To Destroy Angels album, should be interesting to see what evolution has occurred.

New Nine Inch Nails (apparently), later on, plus the deluxe Fragile and Reznor's been teasing some sort of Wave Goodbye.

Beck's about to drop something as are TMBG.

And Eels are going to be touring in 2011, most likely with a whole new line up, which would be great as I'm still not in love with the three latest by them.

Not that I need new Eels, I'd just love to see a line up like the Souljacker or Daises of the Galaxy tour.

Anyway.

I'm going to finish up Black Company.

Oh, and go watch the new Scissor Sisters video for 'Invisible Light'.

It's astounding.